Bulgaria: ESC: Hope Without Borders: Social Catering Enterprise

About the local hosting organization

Caritas Sofia was founded on 31 August 1993 and registered as a non-profit charitable organisation at Sofia Court of Justice on 20 April 1994 (no. 20030416009). The 1990s saw Caritas Sofia exclusively focused on providing urgent humanitarian aid to help people survive the heavy economic crisis. Long-term care and assistance provision began in early 2000 as Caritas Sofia registered at the Agency of Social Inclusion and at the State Agency for Child Protection, which enabled the licensed provision of a range of social services. The mission of Caritas Sofia is love and kindness to our neighbor which brings us to those in need. Leaning on Christian values as our guidance, we, the employees and volunteers of Caritas Sofia, assist the most vulnerable members of our society in finding their way to dignity and justice regardless of their religious beliefs, race, gender and other differences. Caritas Sofia is a voice and example of the Social teaching of the Catholic Church. Every person is created in God’s image and in his face we see God. Following the words of Jesus - “What you have done to my youngest brothers and sisters, you have done unto me” - we help the most vulnerable and suffering in the same way that we would take care of Him. Having no means of our own and heavily relying on project funding, we cannot unfortunately cater for the needs of individual cases. Elderly people, vulnerable families and children, refugees, people addicted to narcotic substances, women in need and homeless people all form our target group. Additionally, we also support people wanting to volunteer. The organisation is based in Sofia and assistance is provided in cities and towns where the Catholic Exarchate is present: Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Malko Turnovo, Kuklen, Pokrovan, Banya and Veselinovo.

Presentation of the programme

Volunteers will support the development and promotion of Caristo, a social catering enterprise preparing and delivering authentic Lebanese food. Owned by Caritas Sofia, it reinvests profits into social projects supporting people in vulnerable situations. Volunteers will contribute to both business growth and social impact. The main focus is increasing visibility and building relationships with clients and partners. They will help promote services via social media by creating content, sharing impact stories, and engaging with audiences. They will also support communication with potential customers such as companies, event organizers, and private individuals. Volunteers may assist in promotional events, tastings, and community activities, presenting the enterprise to new audiences. They can contribute ideas for marketing campaigns, support branding, gather feedback, and help with contact databases, outreach documentation, and promotional materials.

About the accomodation

Accommodation in a shared room in shared flat, in a green and quiet Sofia area. Rent, electricity, water and internet are covered. Travel expenses -- international (to arrive and depart) and local (within Bulgaria, related to the service) -- are reimbursed to the participant. The volunteer will receive a monthly allowance for pocket money expenses and food expenses, in a local bank account: 14 EUR per day. The ammount will be payed monthly so for example: 30 day month is 420 EUR. Additional support is available for participants with fewer opportunities.

About the leisure activities

At the beginning of the activity, volunteers will receive an introduction to Caritas Sofia, the Caristo social enterprise and its mission. They will be familiarized with the principles of social entrepreneurship, the organization’s services and target groups, and the role of marketing and communication in supporting social impact initiatives. Throughout the project, volunteers will receive ongoing guidance and mentoring from staff members and will participate in regular team meetings, planning sessions and evaluation activities.

Requirements

The Participant profile: We are looking for motivated volunteer who are interested in communication, marketing, social entrepreneurship and community development. Volunteers should be willing to take initiative, work collaboratively with others and contribute creatively to the promotion of the enterprise. Good communication skills and a proactive attitude are important, while previous experience in marketing, sales, hospitality, event organization or social media is considered an advantage but is not required. Applicants should have a good level of English that enables them to communicate effectively within the project environment. An interest in supporting social initiatives and working within an organization that promotes inclusion and solidarity is essential. A driving licence is a requirementDeadline: